Ironing machine



w. A. STROGEN IRONING MACHINE Oct. 22, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1956 Q Q S INVENTOR.

W/LL/AM A. 57065 111.9 airamvsr w. A. STROGEN IRONING MACHINE Oct. 22, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1956 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM A. STROGEN I'IIS A TTORNEY United States Patent IRONING MACHINE William A. Strogen, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Crescent Puritan Laundry, Inn, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 22, 1956, Serial No. 586,617

8 Claims. (Cl. 38-59) This invention relates to an ironing machine, more particularly to what is known as a chest type flatwork ironer for work on sheets, blankets, table cloths, and the like, consisting of a series of padded rolls each of which rotates against an underlying heated chest and is held yieldably thereagainst by adjustable pressure means, and it has for its purpose to provide instrumentalities for automatically governing the pressure means so as to prevent the padded rolls from being forced against their respective heated chests under too great pressure.

In. the usual operation, the rolls are elevated away from the chests at the end of a daysoperatlon preparatory to lowering the rolls at the beginning of the following day, and the customary procedure is for the operator to apply the pressure means manually at the beginning of each day, or when the padding has been reduced in thickness by continued operation, using his judgment and discretion, and a more particular objective of the invention is to aflYord mechanism for controlling the pressure applied to the rolls so that the operator can make a definite setting which gives notice when the proper pressure is applied and prevents excessive pressure on the rolls, such predetermined setting remaining effective until the padding has been reduced sufliciently in thickness to require another setting, and operating automatically whenever the pressure means is activated to efiect pressure of the rolls uniformly and exactly in accordance with the predetermined adjustment of the control mechanism, to prevent application of excessive pressure, which is uneconomical, and damaging to the work and padding.

Where the pressure to be applied each day is left to the judgment of the operator, it happens that frequently too much pressure is applied, causing the padding on the rolls to be reduced in thickness to a greater degree than desirable for proper ironing, thus requiring renewal of the padding more frequently and it is a purpose of the invention to obviate this objection in the operation of such ironing machines and thus increase the life of the padding considerably and improving the quality of work produced on the machine.

Such machines include in general a manually operated gear that can be turned in either direction to move the padded rolls under pressure against the chests or to move the padded rolls away from the chests when not in operation, and the degree of pressure is under the control of the operator who must apply the pressure at the beginning of each days operation, and vary the pressure fromtime to time. This being left entirely to the judgment of the operator leaves no way of accurately determining whether the proper pressure is being applied each time the rolls are lowered, and the invention is intended to afford mechanism that enables the operator to make an adjustable setting after the correct degree of pressure is once determined, and thereafter each time the machine is putin operation and the padded rolls lowered, there is no possibility of excess pressure being applied,

since the same degree of pressure is certain to be used each time the machine is started in operation, and the 2min Fatented Oct. 22, 1957 automatic control mechanism positively prevents pressure being applied beyond the point for which the mechanism has been set, such predetermined pressure remaining constant until a new setting is made by the operator.

The invention further includes a simple and effective structure for accomplishing the objective, and consisting of a shiftable gear element operatively connected to the pressure means for moving the rolls either toward or from their heated chests, the shiftable gear element being operable in opposite directions from an inoperative or neutral position by a control lever that is movable in one direction or the other from a neutral position by the operator, and is automatically returned to neutral or inoperative position when the padded rolls reach a predetermined position in relation to their heated chests. Such automatic return of the control lever to neutral position is effected by an air pressure device under the control of an electrically operated air valve, the controlling electric circuit to which is closed by a fixed contact engaged at a predetermined point by a movable contact that is adjustably mounted on a moving part of the pressure means and can be positioned by the operator for any selected degree of pressure to be applied, and upon the control lever reaching its neutral position, the controlling electric circuit is opened by a microswitch governed by the control lever, and operates to close the aforementioned air valve and stop further movement of the control lever, which thus remains in neutral position and informs the operator that the proper pressure is applied, while the padded rolls remain in th position to which they have been moved.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing in general outline a fiatwork ironer of the type to which the invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the padded rolls and heated chests against which they rotate, illustrating in part a preferred embodiment of the invention, and showing the mechanism for elevating or lowering the padded rolls, with details in section;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view showing the control lever and a portion of the automatic pressure means;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the control lever and the automatic mechanism governing the same, showing the control lever in neutral or inoperative position;

Fig. 6 is a similar device showing the control lever in the position it assumes when moved to lower the padded rolls;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the fixed and adjustable contacts of the switch for controllingoperation of the pressure means, and illustrating the contacts in their disengaged position before lowering the rolls;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the switch contacts in their positions when engaged to stop movement of the pressure means after sufficient pressure is applied, and to return the control lever to neutral position, and

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of the switch mechanism showing the fixed and adjustable contacts for controlling the pressure means.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to thesame parts throughout the several views, and to Fig. 2, 1 designates each of the rolls covered with padding, not shown, and rotating in engagement with the heated chests 2, the rolls being suitably mounted on bars 3 at the sides of the machine and held yieldably against the heated chests by springs 4, while 5 designates connecting rodsextending from the longitudinal roll supporting bars 3 downwardly, and operatively connected to eccentrics 6 mounted upon the driven shafts 7 which carry worm gears 8, the latter being engaged and driven by the worms 9 on worm shaft 11 which carries a gear 12 fixed thereon and engaged by a pinion 13 fixed on a spindle 14, that is provided with a hand wheel 15 for turning the pinion 13 manually. Thus the padded rolls can be moved upwardly or downwardly by turning hand wheel 15 to efiect rotation of the shafts 7 and eccentrics 6 to elevate the rollsaway from the chests or to move them downwardly under pressure against the heated chests.

The structure thus far dscribed is old and of conventional form, and the present invention has to do with mechanism whereby when the pressure means is moved by the operator, the padded rolls are engaged with the heated chests at a predetermined definite pressure in accordance with a previous pressure setting, which effects closing of, an electric circuit at a definite point in the downward movement of the padded rolls, so that the rolls cannot be applied under excessive pressure or under a greater pressure than that for which the operator has previously set the controlling switch contact. The mechanism by which the pressure means is stopped at a predetermined point in its movement and the control lever automatically returned to its neutral position, while permitting the padded rolls to remain in the exact position determined by the preset electrical contact will now be described in detail.

The spindle 14 extends into a gear box 16 and is provided on its inner end with a bevel pinion 17 which is positioned to be engaged by either bevel gear 18 or bevel gear 19 which are fixed to a shiftable gear element or sleeve 21 that is slidably keyed on a continuously rotating drive shaft 22 which is a part of the machine drive. The sleeve 21 is operated by a control lever including a body portion 23 pivoted at 24 on a support 25, with its inner end 26 connected to a collar on the sleeve 21 and operating to move the gear element from its neutral position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, in either direction to etfect movement of the padded rolls toward or from their heated chests.

The control lever is actuated manually by a handle portion 28 which is pivoted at 29 to the lever body 23 to swing perpendicular to the pivotal axis 24 and is moved by the operator to bring either bevel gear 18 or bevel gear 19 into engagement with bevel gear 17 and thus operate the pressure means controlling the padded rolls. When the padded rolls are actuated downwardly toward the chests, it is important not to apply excess pressure to them, and this is accomplished by the mechanism now to be described which automatically returns the control lever 23' to neutral position and maintains the padded rolls in the position to which they have been moved when they reach the correct position desirable to apply the proper amount of pressure to the rolls, and for which a predetermined setting has been made through the instrumentality of an electric switch having an adjustable contact that governs the stopping of the movement of the rolls downwardly. The switch contact can be adjusted to stop such movement of the rolls at a predetermined point and thus insure against their being moved too close to the chests and being under too great pressure.

The usual procedure with such ironing machines is to move the padded rolls downwardly into contact with their heated chests each morning at the beginning of the days work. The pressure on the rolls is left to the skill and discretion of the operator who usually relies on an indi cator that shows in general the position of the rolls in relation to the chests, but such indicator is not accurate due to play between parts of the machine and other variations, and the operator may be careless in moving the padded rolls downwardly, with the result that they are engaged too tightly with the chests and the padding of the rolls is its neutral position, by the closing of an electric circuit through the adjustable contact and switch.

After such a setting is once made, it can be utilized for several days or a week before another setting is made, the padded rolls being operable for several weeks before the padding must be replaced, and with the automatic control of the correct position of the padded rolls, it has been found that by preventing excess pressure of the padding, the life of the padding can be extended a considerable length of time, resulting in a substantial saving in the operation of the machine, and the finished work has a superior and uniform quality.

To accomplish this, one of the shafts 7 which carry the eccentrics 6 is provided with a circular disc 30 of Bakelite or other insulating material that is rotatively adjustable .on the shaft 7 to any desired position and w tatable in such position with the shaft 7, the disc 30 being provided with a contact 31 that engages a spring contact 31a, see Fig. 8, when the disc 30 rotates with the pressure means, the disc 30 being adjustable on shaft 7 to engage the spring contact 31a and close the electric controlling circuit at the predetermined point.

Spring contact 31a is connected through conductor 32 to one side of a volt power line to which current is supplied from any suitable source, and contact 31 is connected through a conductor 33 to a conducting bracket 34 from which conductor 35 leads to an electrically oper ated air valve 36, the solenoid of the electrically oper ated air valve 36 being in turn connected through conductor 37 to a micro-switch 28 which is connected through conductor 39 to the other side of the power line The air valve 36 when opened releases air pressure from any suitable source to a piston within a piston chamber 41, the piston being connected by piston rod 42 to the control lever that is operated by the handle portion 28, and 43 designates a spring actuated depressible plunger of micro-switch 38, and operated by the control lever when the latter is in its neutral or inoperative position, to de press plunger 43 and open the circuit at that point.

The control lever then remains in its neutral or inoperative position until again moved by the operator and when it is desired to move the padded rolls away from the chests, the control lever is moved in the opposite direction from its neutral position, causing the padded rolls to be moved upwardly, such upward movement being terminated by the operator returning the control lever to neutral position. Whenever the control lever is moved to actuate the padded rolls downwardly, such movement is always stopped when the control circuit is closed by contacts 31 and 31a, the rolls being then held in the proper relation to the chests and under the predetermined desired pressure by the frictional engagement between the worms 9 and the worm gears 8 forming part of the pressure means.

The operation of the machine briefly is as follows: after the rolls have been freshly padded, or the padding dried, the operator turns hand wheel 15, see Fig. 2, to move the pressure rolls downwardly into engagement with the heated chests until they correct pressure engagement is attained, which the operator can easily determine prior to setting the machine in operation. With the rolls in such predetermined and selected position, the switch element 31 is adjusted on shaft 7 until it engages contact spring 31a. The controlling circuit is at this stage of the operation open since the control lever 23 is in its inoperative or neutral position in engagement with the pin 43 of the micro-switch 38. The machine is then set in operation and at the end of a days operation, the control lever is moved to elevate the padded rolls away from their chests, during which movement switch contact 31 is moved out of engagement with the contact spring 31a to a position such as illustrated in Fig. 7, due to the rotation of disc 30 with the shaft 7. At the beginning of the following day, the operator moves the control lever 23 to the on position, see Fig. 3, causing the padded rolls to be moved downwardly toward the chests, and during such downward movement of the rolls, turning of shaft 7 rotates thedisc 30 until contact 31 wipes under the contact spring 31a and closes the circuit at this point. Immediately the solenoid in the electrically operated air valve 36 is actuated to open the air valve, permitting air pressure to pass to the piston chamber 41 and actuate the piston therein to move the control lever back to its neutral position as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, where it falls by gravity into a notch 44 in the slot 46 of the guide bracket 47, thereby pushing spring-actuated pin 43 of the microswitch 38 downwardly and opening the circuit. As the control lever is moved to its neutral position, bevel gear 18 is disengaged from the bevel gear 17 and further movement of the padded rolls downwardly is stopped. The padded rolls then remain in the position to which they have been moved, depending upon the predetermined adjustrnent of the switch element 31.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structure illustrated, it is not confined to the details herein disclosed, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the contemplated purpose of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the heated chests including a rotating gear and a driven shaft on which said rotating gear is mounted, the improvement which consists in an electrical controlling circuit, an electric switch in said circuit comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably mounted on said driven shaft, a control lever operatively connected with said pressure means and operable to effect movement of the padded rolls toward the chests, and means controlled by said electric switch when said driven shaft reaches a predetermined position acting to return the control lever to neutral position.

2. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the heated chests including a rotating gear and a driven shaft on Which said rotating gear is mounted, the improvement which consists in a continually rotating drive shaft, a shiftable gear element slidable on said drive shaft operatively connected to said gear and acting to operate said gear in either direction for elevating or lowering the padded rolls, a control lever connected to and operating said shiftable gear element and movable in either direction from a neutral position, an air pressure device operatively associated with said control lever, an electrically operated air valve, said electrically operated valve being in a circuit including a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably mounted on the aforesaid driven shaft, and a switch in said circuit located in the path of said control lever and operated thereby to open said circuit when the control lever reaches neutral position.

3. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests including a rotating gear, and a driven shaft on which said rotating gear is mounted, the improvement which consists in a continually rotating drive shaft, a shiftable gear element on said drive shaft operatively connected to said gear and acting to operatesaid gearin either direction for elevating or lowering the padded rolls, a control lever operatively connected to said shiftable gear element and acting to operate the same in either direction, said control lever being movable in either direction from a neutral position in which said gear element is disengaged, an electric circuit, a switch in' said circuit including a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably mounted on said driven shaft, and means connected to said control lever and operating upon the closing of said circuit to move said control lever to neutralposition.

- 4. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests including a driven shaft, the improvement which consists in an electric controlling circuit, an electric switch in said circuit comprising a. fixed contact and a second contact adjustably mounted on said driven shaft and operating to close said circuit when said contacts are in engagement, a control lever operatively connected with said pressure means, and a switch in said circuit in the path of said control lever operating to open the circuit when the lever is in neutral position.

5. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotated in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests, the improvement which consists in a continually rotating drive shaft, a shiftable gear element slidable on said drive shaft operatively connected to said pressure means and acting to elevate or lower the padded rolls, a control lever operatively connected to said shiftable gear element and acting to move it in either direction from a neutral position, an electric circuit, a switch in said circuit including a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably mounted on a moving part of said pressure means, means connected to said control lever and operated by said electric circuit when the aforesaid adjustable contact reaches a predetermined position to return the control lever to neutral position, and a switch in the path of said control lever when the latter is in neutral position acting to open said circuit, said switch being released and positioned to close said circuit when the control lever is moved away from its neutral position.

6. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests including a rotating gear and a driven shaft on which said rotating gear is mounted, the improvement which consists in a continual- 1y rotating drive shaft, a shiftable gear element slidable on said drive shaft operatively connected to said gear and acting to operate said gear in either direction for elevating or lowering the padded rolls, a control lever operatively connected to and operating said shiftable gear element and movable in either direction from a neutral position, an electric circuit including a switch consisting of a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably positioned on said driven shaft, an electrically operated air valve in said circuit, an air pressure supply controlled by said air valve, and an air pressure operated device controlled by said air supply and operatively associated with said control lever acting to move the same to neutral position when said movable contact engages said stationary contact and closes the circuit.

7. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, and pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests including a rotating gear and a driven shaft on which said rotating gear is mounted, the improvement which consists in a continually rotating drive shift, a shiftable gear element slidable on said drive shaft operatively connected to said gear and acting to operate said gear in either direction for elevating or lowering the padded rolls, a control lever operatively: connected to and operating said shiftable gear element and movable in either direction from a neutral position, an electric circuit including a switch consisting of a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably positioned on said driven shaft,ian electrically operated air valve in said circuit, an air pressure supply controlled by said air valve, and an air pressure operated device controlled by said air pressure supply and operatively associated with said control lever acting to move the same to neutral position when said movable contact engages said stationary contact and closes the circuit, and a switch located in the path of said control lever when the latter is in neutral position and is moved thereby to open said circuit, said switch being movable to close the circuit when said control lever is moved away from neutral position.

8. In an ironing machine including a series of heated chests, a series of padded rolls rotating in engagement with the chests, pressure means operating to move the padded rolls toward the chests including a driven shaft, the improvement which consists in an electric controlling circuit, an electric switch in said circuit comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact adjustably mounted on said driven shaft and operating to close said circuit when said contacts are in engagement, a control lever operatively connected to said pressure means, and a second switch in said circuit operatively associated with the control lever and operated thereby to open the circuit when the control lever moves to neutral position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,610 Shirley Aug. 13, 1940 

